Children's Home run by Springfield Road Children’s Homes Ltd in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 1 SC412296 Registered provider: Springfield Road Childrens Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 28 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2022 Full Outstanding 21/04/2021 Full Outstanding 25/04/2019 Full Good 26/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a good standard of care from a stable staff team, who are knowledgeable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, children have been on a holiday to Spain together. During the trip, children took part in a variety of activities and adventures. Children speak enthusiastically about this experience. More locally, children make use of nearby facilities to go shopping and visit places of interest. Some children have joined local clubs, where they make new friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive regular and personalised direct time with staff. Within these sessions, children take an active role in identifying new aims and objectives. Staff then work together with the child to achieve, and sometimes surpass, their goals. A child said, ‘Staff are kind and encourage me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn useful life skills. They plan, shop for ingredients, and prepare meals, which are then shared with everyone in the home. Children learn practical skills, such as independent travel, as well as learning about applying for jobs and college applications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with family members and those who are close to them. A strength of this home is how staff successfully support and advocate for children to have time with their family and loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children maintain good attendance at school and are progressing educationally. One teaching professional said, ‘Children are now achieving better in school, with the children’s home staff supporting them to complete work at home and after-school catch ups.’ For other children who have moved to the home without an educational place, staff provide structured learning activities. This maintains consistency and structure for these children while a suitable learning provision is found.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, two children have successfully moved on to a new home in a planned way. Two further children have moved out in an unplanned manner. The registered manager has reflected on these unplanned endings in order to avoid similar circumstances occurring again. The admission of the most-recent child was well planned and successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children’s health and emotional well-being needs are met. Staff have not received any specific training in relation to children’s nutrition and maintaining a healthy diet. In particular, they have not had training in how to support children who are moving to adulthood to learn healthy habits. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the areas of vulnerability for each child. Risk management plans are detailed, up to date, and individualised to each child. They contain clear strategies for staff to follow in order to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children experience a home that is free from bullying. Staff help children to learn to be kind.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Any safeguarding concerns are shared with relevant agencies. The leadership team has effective communication systems with placing authorities, which ensure that they are kept up to date with relevant information.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff respond appropriately if children go missing from the home, in order to bring about their safe return. Relevant parties are updated when a child is missing and when they return. Good working relationships exist with the local police.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Within direct work sessions with children, there is a focus on helping children to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes when the children may be online, or out in the community, and learning about sexual health and the dangers of drug and substance misuse.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The organisation’s child protection and safeguarding policy lacks direction for staff if there were to be an allegation made against the registered manager. This policy does not include topics such as child criminal exploitation, self-harm, and suicide risks to children. In addition, the policy contains reference to some guidance that is now outdated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has high ambitions for the children and works hard to ensure that the children have every opportunity available to them. She confidently leads the staff team to develop a shared vision for the children. Since the previous inspection, the trip to Spain provided four children with their first trip abroad and immersed them in a vibrant new cultural experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Everyone in the staff team is trained to at least the level 3 diploma level. Since the previous inspection, only one staff member has left the team. This stable base of knowledgeable staff helps children to progress and achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision, which focuses on how well the staff member is helping the children to progress. These sessions also provide feedback to staff on their general practice and effectiveness as a team member. However, in one case, there is no record of a plan to assist a member of staff to improve their practice within a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Appraisals take place on an annual basis. Staff members reflect on their successes over the past year, and goals are set to further help the staff member to develop Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 5 professionally. However, these appraisals do not include feedback from children or relevant professionals. This is a missed opportunity to further develop the appraisal process and hear children’s feelings about a staff member, and to receive views from professionals who are relevant to the children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the previous inspection, a new system for monitoring the quality of records has been implemented. This approach has been successful at identifying and addressing any weaknesses or anomalies in children’s files. The previous recommendation is met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team has an excellent understanding of the strengths and development areas of the service. Professionals speak extremely positively about working with the leadership team and wider staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34 (6)) 2 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children to understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being, such as nutrition and having a healthy diet. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Springfield Road Childrens Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Cornfield Terrace, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4NN

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Inspector

Anna Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC412296 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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